


One Last Thing

by AJsHellCat



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Drama, F/M, Human Impala, Romance, Supernatural Elements, mentions of Gabriel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-10-27
Packaged: 2017-12-26 14:53:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/967254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJsHellCat/pseuds/AJsHellCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel leaves the boys one last gift: a spell to hide an item that is precious to them from any evil being. Of course, it isn't what the boys imagined. At all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago, posted it on tumblr, forgot about it until just a little while ago. So, I decided to post it here. hope you like it!

For once, they were all having a quiet evening. The old cabin they were holed up in wasn't glamourous by any stretch of the imagination, but it was cozy and had everything they needed.

The precious tablet that had told them that there was a way to close the gates of Hell for good rested on the coffee table in front of Dean, who was watching cartoons. Amazing that it simply laid there, unassuming, seemingly unaware of the power it held. 

They knew. So they watched it, never let it leave their sights. Ever. 

Sam and Castiel were in the cabin's basement sorting through boxes of ancient texts and books that Bobby had left them. They hoped that maybe there was a mention of this Gate, a clue to its location, something that would help them on their mission. 

Castiel translated where he could, which helped plenty. He couldn't narrow anything down, though, as even the Angels had not been made privy to this information. Nobody could really fathom why.

Kevin Tran slept in a makeshift bed near the couch. It was only a few blankets and an old pillow, but the kid had been grateful anyway. All of them were run ragged going after any clue, any possibility regarding the Gate that came their way. 

Dean kept watch on him occasionally looking over the couch, making sure he was still there. 

Sam and Castiel came up a few hours later, with Sam making a beeline for the coffee pot. He got some brewing, enough for all three of them. 

“How's it going down there?” Dean asked, not too loudly so he didn't disturb their charge. 

Sam sighed a little. “It's slow, but we've weeded out quite a few books that we're sure won't help us.” 

“Well, it's a start.” Dean said, knowing his encouragement sounded a little lame. Sam's small, sad smile told him that it was appreciated anyway. 

When the coffee was done, Sam filled a mug for each of them. Dean, being just as much of a caffeine lover as Sam, thanked his younger brother profusely. Sam grinned a little at that. Castiel was just beginning to develop a taste for it, which both brothers encouraged. It was helpful, especially during nights like this. 

Dean, as usual, stood too close to Castiel having conveniently forgotten about his personal space rule. Sam just wondered when the two of them would finally admit to the proverbial elephant in the room: their feelings for one another. 

He'd noticed it the very first time Castiel and Dean had been in the same room together. Something had been different then. Though then he wasn't able to put his finger on it. Now he knew. 

Over the last few years, Sam had watched their bond grow from friendship into something more, both so painfully oblivious to the changes. If they didn't get their asses in gear soon, he was going to start nudging things along. They both deserved love and happiness, so much. 

It was then that Sam noticed something sticking out from between the pages of a book sitting in a stack that had been pushed to the corner of the room. Odd, he hadn't noticed that before...

Furrowing his brows, he walked over to the stack and crouched down to pull the offending paper from the book. With a gentle tug, it came free. The paper was discoloured with age. It was folded in half. Sam opened it with care.

On it was some of the most beautiful calligraphy that Sam had ever seen. Whilst admiring it, he deduced it was written in Latin. He brought it over to Dean and Castiel. 

“Just found this randomly sticking out of a book.” 

Dean took it from him and examined it. “Latin...”

Castiel looked over his shoulder. “It's a spell. It's meant to conceal a precious item from the eyes of evil.” 

They all exchanged looks of disbelief. How could such a spell just suddenly appear? Especially when such a thing would be extremely helpful. They discussed for a while as to whether they should trust it and actually cast the spell or if they should study it further first just to make sure there weren't any hidden strings attached. 

That's when Castiel noticed something written on the back of the paper. “This,” he pointed, “is the signature of Gabriel, the Archangel.”

“Gabriel?” Sam and Dean said in unison. 

“Yes.” 

“Well,” Sam mulled it over for a moment, “should we try it?” The youngest Winchester couldn't imagine anything going too horribly wrong with this spell. Gabriel had been mischievous, but not evil. And in the end, he had given his life to their cause.

Dean, who was thinking along those same lines, nodded. “Okay, let's give it a whirl.”


	2. Chapter 2

They gathered the materials the spell called for. Dean looked at all of them. “Well, here goes nothing.”

Dean began reading the words from the paper. The air seemed to suddenly crackle with energy, with life all around them. Then...

“Holy crap!” Sam exclaimed, looking out the window. Dean and Cas turned to where Sam had been looking. A huge, red-hot ring of fire had surrounded the Impala and seemed to be closing in on it. 

“Baby!” Dean ran outside, but didn't get far. The heat of the flames hit him full on. He stumbled back until all he felt was a slight warmth.

Castiel came to Dean's side, quickly followed by Sam. They watched helplessly as the fire quickly consumed the car, obscuring it from their view. 

Then just as suddenly as it came, it vanished. In its place lay a woman, her long raven coloured hair hiding her face. 

“What the hell?!” Dean growled, not impressed. 

His voice startled the previously prone female form. Her head shot up to look Dean right in the eyes. Her eyes were a bright amber colour, and were widened in a mixture of confusion and fear. 

The trio slowly made their way towards her so as not to startle her more than they already had. 

“Uh, hey there.” Dean said awkwardly.

She blinked a little, but her expression remained the same. 

Sam came forward, making sure his hands were visible so she knew he didn't have any weapons on him. 

“It's okay, miss. We're not going to hurt you. We were just wondering how you got here is all.”

Her eyes met Sam's and she visibly relaxed. 

“I was just parked out here,” she gestured at where she was now sitting, “enjoying the night air when that fire surrounded me. And well...you know the rest.”

Idly, she scratched at a scar on her shoulder. Dean's eyes went wide when he saw that said scar was in the form of four letters: S.W. And D.W. 

“Sam, her shoulder...”

The younger Winchester, whose eyes hadn't left the woman, looked where Dean indicated. His eyes went wide too.

She blinked. “What?” Right after she voiced her question, she noticed the scar. Then, she noticed the rest of her. Really noticed. 

“Holy...” Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “I'm...” She held up her hands, slowly wiggling her fingers. 

“I've got fingers!” she looked down. “Feet!” touched her head. “Hair!” She touched her entire face, naming the parts out loud. If she didn't look so panicked, the boys might have laughed at her unintentionally comic display. 

“I'm a...” She bent over, resting her palms on her knees, hyperventilating, “person!” 

“Whoa, take it easy.” Dean said, coming to her side and awkwardly resting his hand on her bare back. “Just breathe, in and out.”

She did as he asked before slowly standing upright again. 

Dean draped his leather jacket over her shoulders so that she could cover herself and get warm. It was a chilly night. 

She sent him a small smile of thanks. “This is just...alot to take in.”

Now that was an understatement. First a mysterious spell, now it appeared...Man, he couldn't even think it, it was too ridiculous.

“I can imagine it would be an adjustment to go from being an automobile to a human being.” Cas said this casually, as if he was stating that there was a sky above their heads. 

“God, it sounds so ridiculous and even more unbelievable when you say it out loud like that.” She sighed sadly. 

Dean rubbed her arm in reassurance. “Yeah, it is. But we can handle this sort of thing, it's kind of our job.”

“I know. I've been with you for years, Dean. I've seen alot myself. This just...” She gestured at her new form, “takes the cake.”

“Years?” Oh dear...that meant she would remember...

She looked into Dean's eyes, seemingly knowing what he was thinking. “Oh yes...years.” She smiled gently.

“Well!” Dean said, putting his arm around her shoulders, “let's get you inside so we can get you dressed.”

Sam snorted and rolled his eyes.

Castiel just openly scowled at how Dean was touching her. Yeah, he didn't hide his jealousy well at all. 

They all made their way back inside the cabin. Dean dug into some cupboards in the basement and found her some clothes that Sheriff Mills had left behind. Dean gave her a small smile. 

“Here you go.” 

She studied the clothes, having absolutely no idea how to put them on. Still, she was determined to figure it out. 

“Thanks.” 

Sam, seeing how lost she looked, offered to show her where she could change. She sent him a grateful look as he took her into the small, but still fairly easy to move around in, bathroom. 

“If you need anything, just let us know okay?” Sam called through the closed door. 

“I will.” That made her feel a little better. 

She was quiet for a long moment, staring at the clothes, then at the door. “'Okay... here goes.”

First, the shirt. She held it up before her. It was a simple, grey tank top. This couldn't be too hard, could it? 

Experimentally, she held it above her head and let it drop. She grinned when her head went through one of the open holes. However, that was short lived when she realized she had two holes on one side of her. 

Something told her that couldn't be right. On her second attempt, she ended up with one hole on each side, and her head in the one in the middle. Ah, this felt better!

She slipped her arms through the holes on either side. Once she'd done that, she realized that this was how the shirt was supposed to be worn. 

One small victory...

Getting the jeans on proved easier and she was thankful for that. Though... what were those silver things on the front? Oh dear...

“Sam?” she called out timidly, hoping he was still near the door or at least close enough to hear her. 

“Yeah?” 

Thank goodness!

“I, um... can you help me?”

“Sure, hold on.” Sam carefully opened the door and let himself in. He saw her standing there, wearing the tank top and jeans with the jean buttons open. 

“The...um...I can't..” she blushed, gesturing at the buttons. 

“Oh, that's okay. I'll help.” It was a little awkward for him, but he understood. If you'd never had to wear clothes before, how could you be expected to know how they all worked?  
“These are buttons.” he explained and then showed her how they worked as he did them up for her. 

She watched his long fingers work, finding herself fascinated by them. Sam noticed her gaze. Awareness of just how intimate this position was, hit him. Then the fact that this woman was formerly their car hit him aswell. 

Sam quickly stood before this got any more awkward and cleared his throat. “Alright.. there you go.” 

“Thanks, Sam.” With a small smile, she left the bathroom ahead of him.

She sat on a big bean bag chair that Dean indicated to her. It was an odd sort of chair, but it was comfortable. 

Sam sat in one near her, stretching out his long legs. That made her grin. Heavens, he was tall!

Kevin Tran, of course, had woken up whilst all this commotion was going on. He gawked at her. 

“You're telling me that that's your car?!” He gestured wildly at her, “That's the Impala?!”

She sank a bit into the chair. She was quickly realizing she didn't like being the centre of attention. 

Luckily, Sam spoke up. “Yes, we know. She's still trying to process being human so if we could just leave the gawking and outbursts to a minimum?”

Kevin looked a little embarrassed. “Yeah, right, sorry. I'm Kevin, by the way.”

“I'm,” She paused, “Well, I don't have a name, other than Baby..” She mentioned the term of endearment Dean had given her with much affection. She'd always liked it. 

Sam smiled, watching her eyes warm as she spoke. They really were beautiful...

Quickly, he caught himself. Again. She was a car that was suddenly a person that he knew they'd have to turn back into a car as soon as they figured out how. He couldn't forget that. Wow... it still sounded ridiculous.

But the truth was right in front of their faces. Here she was.

“I guess this is Gabriel's idea of a joke.” Dean growled, half annoyed, half amused. 

“Well, she is precious to you, Dean.” Sam said, a half hearted attempt at teasing. 

That was true, but Dean had really hoped that that spell had picked the tablet to protect. It would make their job at least a little easier. 

“How are we going to turn her back?” Dean looked at both sides of the paper, as he'd already done quite a few times. “It's not like Gabriel put a reversal spell on this thing.”

“We'll figure something out.” Sam walked over to a stack of books that he and Castiel had looked through earlier. He knew they wouldn't be useful for the tablet problem, but they might just for this spell reversal. Dean sat down at the table nearby to help Sam, as sitting near the woman who used to be car was still too awkward for him. 

That left her and the Angel to entertain each other.

“So, you're Castiel.” She stated, more to make sure she was right. 

“Yes.” He turned to face her fully from his own bean bag chair. “Do you find yourself experiencing any human needs? Hunger? Thirst?” 

She considered his question. As she did, her stomach rumbled. “Well, that answers one.” 

A moment later, a plate with a rather appetizing looking sandwich appeared in front of her. 

“Wow, that was fast.” 

Castiel casually explained the lengthy trip around the world that he took to prepare said sandwich, but this time, leaving the awkward part about the pig out. 

She gave him a bit of a look, but hunger quickly won over and she picked up the sandwich and took a bite. She groaned in pure happiness. It was official: human food was awesome. 

Cas also got her some water, which she drank happily. 

“Thank you.” She gave him a warm smile. 

“You're welcome.” He smiled back. 

She quickly polished off her meal and sat back, sighing in contentment. “I understand why Dean likes to eat so much now.”

“Yes, he does have a rather strong affinity for food. Especially cheeseburgers and pie.”

“I'm trying those next.” She declared. From there, her and Castiel got into an in depth conversation about what it was like to be an Angel versus what it was like to know you were formally an automobile. 

She decided she liked the Angel. He didn't make her feel freakish because of what she had been. Castiel simply accepted her as she was. She hoped that one day the boys be just as comfortable with her. 

Sam, mostly, if she were to be truly honest with herself. Speaking of, she stole glances at him occasionally, hoping he wouldn't notice. She just wanted to...look. Really. Just a little. Oh, alright more like ogle, but really. The man was handsome. 

Even though she knew that they'd turn her back sooner rather than later, she wanted to enjoy this while she could. After all, she'd never get a chance to experience being human again. That was certain.

Unbeknownst to her, Sam did notice her noticing him. It was hard not to especially since his chair was facing the living room, where she was sitting. He had half-listened to her talking with Castiel. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew the Angel's affections laid with his brother, he'd be a little bit jealous.  
That made Sam blink. Jealous?! Whoa, he needed to derail that train of thought. Fast. He didn't need to be dwelling on that, or the images that came into his mind, unbidden, of her running into the cabin... 

He hadn't had a second to think of it at the time, but now he did. Her legs were slender, going on forever...

Dammit, Sam! He yelled mentally at himself. Get a hold of yourself!

Dean had also noticed the noticing. He closed the book he was currently looking through. “Sam, a word? Outside?”

Sam blinked in confusion, but got up when Dean did and followed him outside. 

“Dude! What the hell?” Dean asked in exasperation. 

“What the hell what?” Sam asked back, confused. 

“I saw you in there, looking at her. Sam, she's my -car-”

Crap! Dean had noticed. Oh man. Sam ran a hand through his hair. “Well, right now she's not, Dean. She's a human being. And, well, she's an...attractive one.” God, that was awkward to say. But it was true. 

 

“Yeah, but...she's not always gonna be that way, Sammy. We're turning her back, you know that. No way I'm living without my car.” 

 

Sam nodded. “I get that. I wouldn't expect any different. I'll just say it again, I'm a guy, she's a woman--”

Dean held up a hand, cutting him off. “Okay, empathy. I get it. Just...no funny business. No hands on my car...” He furrowed his brows. “Wow..that was weird to say.”

Sam chuckled, letting some of the awkward tension leave his body. “It's just as weird hearing you say it.”

And with that, they headed back inside to dive back into the books. 

Little did either of them know, she had been standing there, listening to their words. She knew Dean was right, but at the same time she wanted to bop him on the head and tell him to leave her alone and let her feel. 

There was one thing she could do, though...

She stood with her arms folded across her chest when they walked back in. She fixed what she figured would be a scowl on her face.

They both took notice.  
“I heard...and you're right, Dean. Very much so. The only thing is,” She stalked up to him and poked him in the nose. Dean blinked at the gesture, involuntarily crossing his eyes for a second. “I feel like enough of a freak because of what I am, was, whatever, without you two pointing it out every other moment.”

She sighed a little. “So, could you both just treat me like a person whilst I am a person?”

The obvious plea in her tone tugged at Sam's heart. “We're sorry about that. We never meant to make you feel that way. We just...this is one situation we've never dealt with before, so we're naturally fumbling.” He sounded a bit sheepish. “I promise we'll do better from now on.”

The heartfelt apology made her smile. She liked Sam's softer side. “Thank you. That's all I ask.” She reconsidered that. “Actually, I'm still hungry...” It was her turn to look sheepish. “I had a sandwich, but..” a blush. 

Sam chuckled, giving her his full, warm, smile. Her toes curled. Whoa! She didn't know toes could do that. It was kinda cool. 

“No worries. I was planning on going to get something for all of us to eat anyway.” 

She smiled back at him. “Can I come too?” 

Sam agreed and they used a small SUV they'd found in reasonable condition at Bobby's old place to drive down to a local eatery. 

As they drove out of the woods their cabin was in on a winding, old dirt road. It was a little much for her first car ride, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She asked Sam as many questions as she could about what she saw outside her passenger window. 

Trees, birds, sunlight, roads...they were all beautiful to her and she thanked her lucky stars she got to see them. 

“Maybe being human isn't so bad after all...” she murmured. 

Sam marvelled at her pure, undiluted joy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen someone bask in the idea of humanity, and the world. Or rather, if he ever had. Sam was glad he was seeing it now. It made his heart feel lighter and it reminded him that no matter what dark and evil things were out there, there was still good, still light, still moments like this. 

For all the Demons and such did, they couldn't snuff it out. She was living proof of that. 

She beamed at Sam. “It's beautiful out there! Oh, look! What's that?” She pointed excitedly at a deer. 

“That, is a deer.” She whispered several “wows” as she outright gawked at the animal. 

“Sam, I never imagined I'd get a chance, or really ever had the chance to imagine I would...and wow! This world is amazing!”

“'It's why we keep fighting.” And that was the truth.  
Once they slowed to watch for traffic on the main road, she reached out and touched his cheek. “Therefore, I'm glad you all do.” 

Sam tried not to lean into her touch, but he did a little anyway. Her skin was smooth, so unlike his which was toughened from so many years of hunting. 

She found his stubble fascinating, and prickly. But she didn't mind it. It felt...neat under her fingers. A mark he was a man. She lowered her hand, thinking that perhaps the middle of the road wasn't the best place to get personal with Sam.

She cleared her throat. “So...how far is this place?”

Sam visibly shook himself. “Uh, just a little ways down the road.” 

When they found the place, she had to admit that if Sam hadn't deliberately driven to it, she'd never have noticed it. It was that well tucked away. 

It was what she figured the word 'cozy' would look like. It was a refurnished log cabin with a sheltered patio, and a great stone fireplace inside. While she admired it, Sam ordered the food at a small window in the front. 

She sat at a table on the patio and waited. Wonderful smells wafted over to where she was, making her stomach growl all over again. Oh she hoped it wouldn't take long. 

Just then, something caught her eye. She squinted a little against the sun beaming down as she turned to get a better look at what it was. 

It was a man, in a rather sharp looking suit. He had very short dark hair, and a few days worth of stubble on his face. His gaze wasn't on her, but Sam. He smirked. It wasn't friendly. 

Fear skittered up her spine. Who was this man? Why was he looking at Sam like that? 

She looked away for a moment so she could see where Sam was. Thankfully, he was still by the front window. She looked back and blinked. The man was gone! How could that be? He'd been standing in the middle of the road! 

Spooked now, she got up from where she was sitting to go stand by Sam, who gave her a questioning glance. Before she could begin to tell him what she'd seen, the food arrived. Sam took the bags and they walked back to the car. 

Once they were inside, she told Sam what she had seen. “...and he just vanished! Poof!”

She watched as Sam switched from the warm, quick to smile man, to what she could only categorize as his Hunter self. He stepped out of car again, mindful of his surroundings. He got her to point out exactly where she saw him standing, then he crouched down to touch the dirt there. 

“What are you looking for?” she asked, leaning a bit out of her window. 

“Sulfur.” he told her. “All Demons leave it behind.” Sam scowled, having found some.  
“Crowley.” he muttered before reaching for his phone. Sam relayed what she'd seen to Dean, who demanded he talk to her. She told him again, answering Dean's questions as best she could. 

“You two get back here right away, okay? Let me know if you see him again.” Dean told her.

“We will. On a happier note,” she tried, “we'll have food.”

That made Dean chuckle a little, his tone warming, “Good. I'm hungry.” Then he hung up. 

“Crowley...I remember that name.”

“You should, we've talked enough about him over the years.”

“King of Hell, right? That happened after the apocalypse aversion and then Michael and Lucifer being trapped...” 

“Yeah. There's more to the story, if you want to hear it. I'm not sure how much you know or remember, but I could fill in the gaps if you want. I don't mind.”

She gave him a tentative smile. “I remember a fair bit, actually, from what you and Dean have talked about during road trips, when you were driving solo and such...and from your dad's hunts too.”

And so they talked, her filling in gaps for Sam, and Sam doing the same for her. They both learned plenty from the other, neither imagining that they would ever have a conversation like this.  
At some point, the childhood stories came out and both of them descended in a fit of laughter that kept going even after Sam had parked the car back at the cabin. 

“He..he..forgot...oh, god!” She exited the car, holding her side, barely able to get a word out as she laughed. “And the glue!” 

“That was classic. And sadly, more recent.” Sam leaned against the car, trying to catch his breath between fits of laughter. 

She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and sighed happily. “So that's what it's like to laugh, really laugh. It's wonderful.”

Sam studied her once he'd calmed a little. “Thanks.”

She gave him a puzzled look. “For what?”

“For reminding me that being human and living doesn't always suck.”

That warmed her heart. “I'm new to this humanity business, so what do I know really?” her tone was full of humour as she entered the house, food in hand. 

“An awful lot more than most of us do.” Sam answered softly before following her, his eyes taking a short (okay, not really) gander at her backside, which was very pleasing to the eye. 

When Sam entered the room, he nearly collided with her.  
“What--” he started to ask, but stopped. There, before them both, was Crowley. 

Dean, Kevin and Castiel all stood, their eyes never leaving him.

“Hello,” Crowley eyed her, grinning, “and -hello-” he leered at her a bit, which only made her feel sick to her stomach. She inched closer to Sam, who gently pushed her so she stood slightly behind him. 

“A new girl on board, eh? I take it she's not for Dean..” Crowley sneered.

Dean just glared, not rising to the Demon's bait. 

“However, I didn't come here for friendly banter. I just came to tell you that I will find that other piece, no matter how well you hide it.” Soundlessly, the Demon vanished, as if he had never been. 

They all let out a sigh of relief. She rubbed her arms, Cas frowned deeper than usual, and Dean and Sam scowled. 

“That was...not the usual Crowley visit. Why would he come here to taunt us like that? That's not his style.” Dean grabbed a beer, tossed one to Sam. They also opened up the neglected bag of food. Dean was quite happy to find that his burger was still hot.  
For a while, it was hard to tell who was enjoying their burger more, her or Dean. The ecstasy on their faces was almost comical. 

Sam caught the beer easily and opened it, taking a swig. “I don't know. Maybe it's simply so we don't forget he's out there, with the other half.”

Whatever it was, none of them liked it. At all. 

“As if you don't have enough on your minds already.” She said, still a bit shaken, but getting annoyed now. 

“You needn't fear,” Castiel spoke up, “They've dealt with much worse.”

Well, that wasn't comforting. 

She watched Dean and Sam slowly drink their beers and seem to relax a little afterwards. Was this how they unwound after something like this? Perhaps she needed to try it.

Sam noticed her curious stare, aimed towards his beer bottle. “Beer.” he told her, holding out his bottle. 

She took the bottle from Sam, fascinated by the golden liquid inside. It was cold, as if it had been outside in the winter air or something. She carefully put open end of the bottle to her lips and tilted it back. When the beer hit her tongue, she started, pulling it away. 

Sam took the bottle from her quickly in case she might drop it. “You okay?”

She nodded, then swallowed mouthful she had. “Yes, I'm fine. I was just startled. That's a very odd drink. It tickles your mouth.”

“That's the bubbles.” 

“Bubbles?”

Sam did his best to explain what those were, but found her expression of confusion getting deeper. He decided it was best to just give up on that. Instead, he introduced to her other drinks: tea, coffee, and orange juice. It was all they had there available, but he promised to show her others too. 

She decided that she liked the tea best and sipped the hot mug of it that Sam had made her. It warmed her up, keeping the chill of the night air at bay. The cabin could hold some heat, but not much. That was why they always had a fire going. It helped. 

Kevin had held up well with all of these goings on, she thought seeing him warming himself by the fire. He'd stood tall even with Crowley standing there. He was tougher than she had originally thought him to be. 

Castiel sat with him, but his eyes went to Dean every once in a while, as if to make sure he was alright and still with them. 

“So,” she whispered to Sam, “when are Dean and Castiel going to admit that they're attracted to each other?”

Sam nearly choked on his coffee at her direct question. “You noticed too.” Kevin had noticed within just a few minutes of meeting them, and now she did. It just proved his point about his brother and the Angel even more.


	3. Chapter 3

“I have no idea. It's been going on for years now, but between what we've been through and their own blindness, who knows when it'll actually happen.”

She sipped her tea. “Maybe we need to, uh, help them along.” she shifted from foot to foot, grinning. 

“I was actually considering that just the other day.” Well, it seemed he had a co-conspirator if he wanted one. And oh, he did. 

She saluted him with her tea. “Well, then.” 

 

“Say, have you thought about having a name?” Sam asked.

“All I've known is Baby...” she shrugged, “but I suppose we could pick a new one.”

“Are you sure? We don't have to. It was just a suggestion.” Sam didn't want to pressure her into anything. She'd already taken in so much already. 

“No, it's okay. I think I do want one. I just don't know where to start looking.”

“Well, there's a few options. We can start with the internet.” Sam fired up his laptop and tracked down a few sites for naming infants. She watched in wonder as he worked. 

He called out a few names to her before she stopped him. “I like that one.”

Sam had to grin a little. That name was rather fitting, considering. “Gabrielle?”

“Yes, that one. I like it. Gabrielle...yeah, that's going to be my new name.” The name rolled off of her tongue nicely. Yes, it would do. 

When it came time to turn in for the night, Sam made her a bed up on the couch and one for himself, and one for Dean on the floor.

She was puzzled when Sam handed her a pair of sweatpants and another tank top. “What are these for?”

“They're what we call pajamas, sort of. They're more comfortable to sleep in than what you wear during the day.”

Ah, that made sense. She went into the bathroom and changed. When she was done, she saw Dean step in and grab something, put something fresh-smelling on it, and scrub his teeth with it. 

“What are you doing?” 

Dean plucked the toothbrush out of his mouth for a second to answer her. “brushing my teeth.”

“Why?”

“It helps keep my breath fresh and my teeth clean. It's a hygiene thing.” 

She watched him the whole time, making mental notes on how he did it. Front, back, sides. Wow, you had to be thorough to be clean apparently. 

Dean arched a brow and dug into a small bag he'd brought in with him. “I've got an extra one,” he waggled the bright pink toothbrush at her, “if you want.”

“Sure!” she said, clearly pleased that he'd offered. She took the toothbrush from him. “Thank you.” 

Dean studied her a moment, his expression warm, amused. “You're really getting a kick out of this humanity thing, aren't you?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean you're enjoying it.” he clarified. 

She nodded. “Yes, I am. Everything about it has been fascinating so far.” She patted his arm as her enthusiasm began to bubble up, “Food! Man! I love food.”

That made him chuckle. “I'll get you pie tomorrow. Then you'll have lived.”

She practically vibrated with happiness. Her eyes were shining with it. “Yes!” Then she told Dean about all the other foods Sam had told her were out there, and how she wanted to try them all. Dean explained in more detail what some foods were, and told her about more. She listened with rapt attention while she got down to brushing her own teeth. 

Dean showed her how much toothpaste to use, and the general idea of how one went about it. She caught on quickly. When she was done, he showed her how to spit and rinse her mouth. And of course, gargle. 

“Drives Sam nuts.” He gave her an impish grin. She giggled and spent the next few minutes gargling loudly along with Dean.

She was glad that she and Dean were getting more comfortable with each other. He was slowly beginning to treat her more and more like a person, just as she wanted. Dean kept his word. 

She snuggled into bed, ready for her first time sleeping ever. She spent most of her time just laying there, her mind buzzing with more questions about the world around her that she kept thinking of. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Castiel sitting on the ground, cross-legged, reading a book. He had a couple of candles lit by him so he could see without disturbing anyone's slumber. 

Sam and Dean, she noticed, seemed used to this. They paid it little mind. Dean promptly removed his jeans and flopped down onto the bed, making the springs squeak. This made her giggle. It was cut short when she watched Sam remove his jeans, his button-up shirt, and undershirt.

Holy. Crap. 

She could feel her jaw dropping. And why not? The man was an Adonis, as if body fat was simply not allowed to exist on him, only muscle. 

Wow...

She was suddenly very aware she was female, and he was a male. Heaven help her, he was stretching. Why didn't anyone tell her that this affected your breathing? That it made your cheeks all hot? That it made certain unmentionable body parts come to life?

She knew she should roll over, stop staring so that maybe her body could get itself back in order but she couldn't make herself do it. 

As if he felt her eyes on him, he turned around.

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she immediately rolled over. She heard a soft shuffling of feet and then what she figured was Sam getting into bed. She let out a small sigh of relief that he hadn't said anything to her. If he did, she'd have had no response. 

A long while later, she heard more shuffling. She looked up, fearing it was Sam and that he had changed his mind, but it was Castiel. He was studying her. 

“It seems you have a great desire for Sam.” There was no accusation in his tone. He was simply stating a fact. 

“Maybe...” she mumbled. Oh, what a weak defence that was!

“I believe,” he began, sitting down by her, “that you should pursue these feelings.”

She wasn't expecting that. “Really? Even though this human thing isn't permanent? That doesn't sound very fair to me.”

“I've learned that one must take hold of whatever chance they have for happiness because one never knows when it could happen again.”

Then you should finally confess your feelings to Dean and have your own happiness, she thought to herself. 

As if he'd heard her thoughts, he looked towards Dean's sleeping form, his emotions clear in his eyes. 

“Cas...” His eyes met hers. “I can tell how you feel about him,” she said softly, “I think you should heed your own advice. You deserve happiness too.” 

Cas gave her a weak smile before going back to where he had been sitting before and began reading again. 

Oh, she hoped he listened. She closed her eyes, letting sleep take her.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam was the first human awake that morning, as Castiel was always the first being up and about. That put him on coffee duty. As he headed to the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of, he had to remember to think of her as Gabrielle now, though he found himself accidentally wanting to call her Baby.

She was laying on her stomach, her hair fanned over her pillow. The covers only hid half of her body, exposing her bunched tank top. Her breathing was easy, relaxed. Unable to resist, Sam squatted near her and gently tucked one errant strand of hair behind her ear. 

It was hard to believe this sleeping woman was the same exuberant person filled with so much energy, light and joy that she could hardly contain it. He gently traced her cheek with his thumb, which made the corners of her mouth turn up in a sleepy smile. 

Oh yeah, he was in trouble...

Sam finally tore himself away from her and went to make said coffee before Dean woke up grumbling that if he didn't have caffeine in two seconds he was going back to bed and Sam could hunt by himself. 

Kevin Tran was the second human to rise. He stretched, letting some of his joints crack. A yawn later and he was in the kitchen. 

“Coffee?” Sam asked upon seeing him. 

“Hell yes.” Kevin sat at the kitchen table. “It's how I survived school.”

Sam saluted him with his own mug and then passed Kevin his. The kid took it gratefully. “If you don't mind me saying,” Kevin sipped his coffee, “that car makes one hot chick. And,” he winked, “she's totally into you, dude.”

“It's temporary, Kevin.” Sam had to keep saying it out loud, couldn't forget. 

“Yeah, I know. Maybe that's the best thing about her. You don't have to worry...” He left the rest unsaid, knowing Sam would understand where he was coming from.

Sam looked down at his coffee, then to where Gabrielle was still sleeping. Could Kevin be right? Should he think in terms of right now? Just right now? It was an appealing idea...

Just then, she rolled over and her amber eyes opened, still full of sleep. She gave him a tired smile before stretching and yawning, her toes wiggling. She looked ridiculous and utterly adorable at the same time. 

“Morning, Sam” she yawned, and sat up. Her hair was mussed from sleep and strands of it were draped over her face. 

“Good morning.” He gestured at her face. “Hair.” 

She touched her face, felt her hair. “Oh, crap.” She tidied her long locks, tucking them behind her ears. Then she sniffed the air. “Coffee.”

That got her to stand and shuffle her bare feet across the floor to the coffee pot. She felt rather domestic pouring herself the hot beverage. It was nice.

Dean was not far behind her, though when he stretched, he cracked his back loudly and sighed in contentment. 

Gabrielle made a face. Sam empathized. “You learn to ignore it.” he told her. 

Dean just gave his brother a look before getting himself some coffee. He took a sip before mumbling a good morning to everyone. 

Castiel entered the room as if alerted to Dean's wakefulness. The Angel stood near him as he always did, though his hand was now brushing the edge of Dean's t-shirt. Dean unconsciously leaned into his touch, letting Cas's fingers brush his skin. This made happiness flit across the Angel's face. 

Everyone else exchanged looked of bemusement. Gabrielle caught Castiel's eyes for a second and she arched a brow. 

Cas gave her a meaningful look. Good. He had heard her, and it appeared he was listening. Inspired, Gabrielle stood by Sam and let her fingers brush against his. To her delight, he gently hooked his pointer finger around hers. 

She lifted her gaze to find him looking back at her. The clear interest, which she could easily tell was directed at her, lit his eyes. Her toes began to curl. What an odd sensation. She'd have to ask someone about it. It was also nice to know that he seemed to feel the same way she did. Hope bloomed in her heart. Yes, it was a good morning so far.   
Well, it was until Dean got wind of a case involving what sounded like one nasty poltergeist. Gabrielle remembered the many conversations that Sam, Dean, and Castiel had about the various monsters they hunted. 

They'd sounded horrible, terrifying, and like things she'd rather run from than toward. 

But Sam and Dean were people she cared about so she would go with them, right into the melee if she had to. Never before, she realized, had she ever had a chance to do this, to fight with them, to maybe even protect them. It felt good, really good. 

When they all finished their coffee, Gabrielle helped them pack the car up with everything they'd need. 

“You, Kevin, stay here. Sam and I'll be back later.” Dean said shortly, using his best commanding tone. And with that, he walked out the door, Sam on his heels. 

Gabrielle gaped. Just like that, she was left behind. She was about to run out after them when she saw the boys driving away at rather a high speed. No way she'd catch them now. 

She didn't know whether to be angry, grateful, sad, or all of the above. 

Kevin stood beside her. “We're the sidekicks.” He said mournfully, and a little angrily. 

Gabrielle decided she didn't like that word. At all. “Seems so.” She turned to Kevin, refusing to let hope at helping fully diminish. “There has to be something we can do. Something! I don't want that title to mean we're useless.”

“We're not,” Kevin rubbed the back of his head, “I mean I'm not when there's tablet translation needed, but when it comes to day to day ghost fighting, yeah.”

Gabrielle poked him in the chest. “I heard about how you stood up to Crowley, even lost fingers.” She looked down at his hand, which had been healed somewhat by Cas. There were still scars, but the fingers were there. “I think if you had to face 'day to day' ghost fighting, you'd do just fine.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” he meant it.

“So, what should we do now?” She shifted from foot to foot, unsure. This was the first time she'd been left on her own. 

“I read usually, or just sit quietly, screaming internally.” The last part was a half-hearted joke on his part. 

She gave him a weak smile. “I'd read, but...” She looked at her toes for a moment, “I was a car before this.”

“Oh, right.” Sheepish. “I could teach you?”

“Okay.” 

And so, Kevin spent the next few hours doing just that. It turned out, she wasn't a great student when she got frustrated. Gabrielle did have a zest for learning, but when it was this tough it was hard to hold onto that. She mispronounced a few words, misread others, missed a few.

“I thought I'd be better at this!” She said sadly. “I speak just fine. Why can't I read the same way?”

“Well, we all learn our first words from our parents, from hearing them say them. You've only ever heard words, never seen them, right?”

She sighed heavily, feeling silly. Why hadn't she thought of that? It was so obvious and simple. “You're right, of course.” She leaned back into her chair. “It's still frustrating.” 

Kevin chuckled. “It'll get easier.” 

She hoped so. So they soldiered on. She did better, but still struggled. Luckily Kevin was patient and willing to sound out words when she needed him to, and explain what words meant, even slowly read sentences out loud so it was easier for her to read along with him without missing any words. 

 

They got through half of a book before Kevin called for a break. “You're a hard worker, Gabrielle. Good work.”

She beamed, proud of herself and him. “So are you, Kevin. I know I didn't make it easy.”

He arched an eyebrow. “That's true, but you didn't give up.”

“Neither did you.” she shot back, grinning. 

The boys got back late into the evening. Kevin was already asleep, but Gabrielle was still awake, leafing through the book she'd read with Kevin, murmuring words to herself as she went. 

She looked up when they entered the room. “Hey, how'd it go?” she said softly so as not to disturb Kevin.

“Very messily.” Castiel said, brushing some dust off of his trenchcoat. It was also covered in wet mud, so it made his gesture look rather futile. 

Gabrielle was about to chuckle when she saw the nasty wound on Sam's shoulder. She ran to him, worry marring her features. “That looks like it hurts.” 

Sam covered it with his already bloodied hand. “Just...part of the job.” He said, trying to reassure her though his teeth were gritted from pain. 

Gabrielle touched his hand. “Let's get it cleaned up. That's what you do first, right? Then patch it up.” She remembered that much at least. 

“I can do it, you don't have to.” Sam said simply, moving to get his makeshift medical kit. 

“Screw that, you're hurt and I want to help.” She told him firmly and made a gesture for him to sit on the bed near where she was standing.   
Seeing the fear mixed with anger in her eyes, Sam sat as he was told. Gabrielle swallowed as she gently grasped the buttons of his shirt and undid them so she could get a better look at the wound. Oh, what an awful time to blush! But she did. 

Sam's eyes never left her face as she slowly removed his shirt, mindful of his shoulder. “And to think I was here, thinking it was awful that I had trouble learning to read.” 

Sam showed her what was what in the kit and how to properly clean the wound. Gabrielle gently poured some whiskey onto a large piece of gauze and gently dabbed at it, as per Sam's instructions. He hissed when the booze met flesh. 

“Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to--”

“It's okay, don't worry. Just keep going.” She did, only because she trusted him. He'd done this way more times than she did and he was still walking around. 

As she was helping him put on the bandage, she felt something hit her hand, something wet. Then another, and another. 

She looked at her hand. It was some sort of clear liquid. What was it?

“Hey, Hey,” Sam said softly all of a sudden, “you're crying.” He brushed his thumb right under her eye.  
“What?” She lifted a hand, touched under her other eye. It was wet! “Crying? Wait...tears? These are tears?”

“Simply put, they mean you're sad, upset.”

“Oh...” her voice wavered, more fell. 

Sam gently drew her into his arms for a hug, not liking seeing her upset at all. She felt so small, so fragile in his arms. Or rather, you'd think that if not for the fact that she was hugging him back with a strength he wouldn't have expected her to have. It wasn't supernatural strength, but she was no slouch either. 

“wounded...man...ow...” he said after a while. 

She drew back, aghast. “Oh, I'm so sorry, Sam! Oh no!” She inspected the bandage, relieved to see that it was still intact.

“I'm okay, just sore.” he took her hands in his so she would stop fussing. “I'll be fine, I promise.”

She relaxed, but only a little. She drew one of her hands free of his only to tuck some of his long hair behind his ear. He leaned a little into her touch. His hand came up to rest on hers. 

Gabrielle felt drawn to Sam in that moment, like a moth to a flame. His eyes went to her mouth. She drew closer, closer...

“Sam! Help a guy pop his shoulder back into place?” Dean annoyed voice was like ice water. They sprung apart and Sam quickly went to do what Dean asked. “Just...not in front of me, okay? Trauma.” 

Sam snorted in amusement. Then Dean got up to do the same for Cas, whose healing abilities weren't fully regenerated yet. Those two, he thought, as Dean watched Cas with a worried look one usually reserves for their significant other, whilst the Angel rubbed his sore shoulder. 

Sam felt a gentle nudge on his good shoulder. He turned to see Gabrielle with a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water in her hand. 

“Thanks.” he took two. His shoulder was really beginning to throb. Gabrielle sat down right beside Sam, her worried gaze on him. 

“So, you learned to read today, huh?”

She nodded. “Kevin was teaching me.” Gabrielle sent a smile Kevin's way. He returned it. “Turns out I'm better at speaking words than reading words, but I'm going to practice.” The determination in her voice told him she meant it. 

 

Sam was impressed with her. She'd taken being human by the proverbial horns and was making it work. Most people he'd met who had always been that way couldn't handle it as well as she was. 

Sam watched Gabrielle as she brewed some tea and then brought over two mugs. She handed one to the younger Winchester. 

The hot beverage warmed him up, helping him to relax. Maybe he'd actually sleep with an injury for once. Well, he had, but not without help in the form of hard liquor or strong pain medication that would knock him out. 

He did feel tired enough to at least lay in bed, but not quite doze off. It was a pleasant start.


	5. Chapter 5

Gabrielle stayed up for a while longer, tossing and turning in her makeshift bed, unable to get the image of how beaten up the boys had looked when they had gotten home. Sure, remembered conversations about injuries they'd had, but it was quite another thing to see them. 

To see just how human, how mortal they really were. Her heart ached with fear for them. One of these days, it might be too much, and she'd lose one of them...

Her vision blurred, which startled her. Gabrielle blinked, and felt that wetness she'd discovered earlier was tears, running down her cheeks. 

Whatever would she do without Sam and Dean? She'd known them since they were infants, listened to them grow, blossom, fight, bond, laugh, cry...

And it had been beautiful, all of it. 

A fierceness rose in her heart and she promised herself she'd do everything she could to make sure they kept living. Gabrielle turned her gaze to where Sam was reading a novel.   
Something else shifted within her, and she knew she wasn't the same as she had been only a moment ago. A piece she hadn't known was missing, slid into place, making her feel more complete, alive, than she had ever been before. 

With a serene smile, she finally closed her eyes. 

 

What a crazy couple of days it had been, Sam thought as he read. Though he and Dean were used to that, this was different. Sam's gaze found the now sleeping Gabrielle. 

When they'd been hunting tonight, his thoughts had kept wandering to her, wondering if she was safe, how she and Kevin were getting along. Her smile, those warm amber eyes...

It was pointless to deny that he wanted Gabrielle, because he did. Whenever he was around her, he was always painfully aware of her. Sam knew Gabrielle felt it too. It was only a matter of time, he knew, before one of them made a move. 

Anticipation hummed along his skin. He couldn't wait.

 

The next few days, everything was quiet on the supernatural front, which of course meant that Sam and Dean would pace the room, tense like a caged tiger. 

Gabrielle could relate. She was half expecting something to happen, too. Their lives were never quiet. There was always something going on, no matter how aware of it they were. Evil never took a vacation, a day off, or left them alone. Ever. 

She sat in her self-designated bean bag chair, their half of the tablet in her hands. It looked so unassuming. Just a piece of stone. The words carved into it are what gave it power, enough that the baddest of the bad were fighting for it, willing to do anything get their hands on it. 

How powerful was it, she wondered, in two pieces like this? Did it have to be reunited, or could each piece stand alone and cause destruction? A part of her actually hoped they were harmless as they were, apart. That meant that neither could use its power against the other. What had Dean called that once? Oh yeah, a stalemate. 

She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. For the time being, it could be seen as good since it meant that everyone would be safe, at least for a while. Gabrielle set down the stone on top of Dean's travel bag, so he knew where it was. Though his eyes were mostly on Castiel these past days. 

And hers...

Well, they were on Sam. She'd helped him change his bandage a couple of times, re-cleaning it, re-bandaging. Both moments just as charged as the first time. 

She noticed Kevin enjoying a rather large mug of coffee he'd found and giving her a very knowing look. Her cheeks warmed. 

Yeah, she had it bad for Sam Winchester.   
Gabrielle tried to distract herself by practising her reading again, but thoughts of Sam just wouldn't leave her. Sighing, she closed the book and stood. There had to be something else to do around here.

She quickly found Castiel sitting on his bean bag chair, watching TV. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

“Wow...”

“It's a television.” Castiel told her proudly. Gabrielle sat down next to him. “How does it work?”

Castiel explained, but only managed to confuse her. “I'll just watch.” 

A cooking program was currently on. It immediately fascinated her. She watched every move the person made, each ingredient they used, how they used it. 

She recognized a few of the items they used, but there were still plenty she didn't. This of course led her to peppering Castiel with questions, which he answered to the best of his ability. 

“I think I could do this. Imagine! A home cooked meal.” Gabrielle knew that was something the boys never got. It was always take out or restaurant food. Not since they childhood had they experienced it. 

Well, that was about to change!

Pleased with herself, she planned it all out, with Castiel's help of course. After all, this would no doubt help him endear himself to Dean and maybe elicit some affection from him, which Castiel desperately wanted. 

It was so easy for her see it on his face. The way it lit up, imagining Dean's gratitude. She knew the feeling, as she was imagining the same thing, but with Sam.

Another case finally came up, much to the boy's relief. They really were getting restless. Dean gave her and Castiel curt instructions to stay safe and call if they needed anything. Kevin was going with them. It was a long story. And no, he didn't know when they'd be back. She knew he didn't usually bring that part up and was, she figured, doing it for her benefit.

She was used to it, but from another vantage point. It was nice to know that Dean had considered that. 

“Be safe.” she said to the both of them, her eyes lingering on Sam. He gave her a soft smile. They both knew that was impossible, but she still said it anyway. 

As soon as they were outside, Dean whirled around to glare at Sam, but mildly. “Could you two be more ready to jump each other?”

“Dean--”

“I'm not angry, Sam. I just,” Dean began, “It's temporary. You can't forget that.”

“I know, Dean. I know. You know I know. We've been over this how many times over the years? It's old. I get it.”  
Dean held up a hand. “I don't mean you, Sammy. I mean her. She doesn't know that. She looks at you, at this world, in a child-like way. You know, rainbows and unicorns and crap. Our world is anything but that. You're anything but that. So again, no touching my car!”

Sam scowled, anger flaring up inside of him. “And you don't think coming back from that hunt didn't give her a clue?” Sam placed his clenched fists on the top of the car. “She didn't turn away from it. Instead, she helped me. In fact, she made me sit down so she could.”

Sam smiled a bit at the memory. “I think she's tougher than you give her credit for.”

Dean would give Sam that point. “Tough or not...” He let his sentence hang, knowing Sam would get it. 

That made the younger Winchester sigh. He was liking that idea less and less.


	6. Chapter 6

It was three days before the boys returned from their hunt. Gabrielle had taken to watching the windows, looking for any sign of that banged up SUV coming up the road. It had been awful. She hadn't eaten much, slept even less. 

Castiel himself was worried, but he was more practised at being this position. He'd been with them longer, in the vantage point that she was just getting used to: in human form, able to feel. 

The Angel was more concerned about her. Castiel made attempts at cheering her up, by telling her about dire situations that the boys had gotten themselves into whilst she'd been hidden away while they were hiding from the leviathans. How they were still able to rise above, no matter how much the odds were stacked against them. Basically, he was telling her to keep the faith, believe they would return, alive. 

Gabrielle appreciated the stories, but still her heart was wrought with fear, with worry, as she imagined what they were facing. More and more she just wanted them home. She wanted to wrap her arms around Sam and never let him scare her like this over and over again. 

She was yawning and thinking about making tea when she heard the unmistakable sounds of a car pulling up.

Without hesitating, she ran outside and straight into Sam's arms as soon as he climbed out of the passenger seat. Sam let out a small 'oof!' at the impact, but did return her embrace. 

“Hello to you too.” he said, with humour in his tone. 

“What? No hug for me?” Dean teased. 

A moment later, Castiel appeared in front of Dean and proceeded to hug him. At first Dean looked startled, but accepted it and hugged him back. 

“Missed you.” Gabrielle admitted, her voice muffled by his shirt. 

Oh, Crap! She hadn't meant to say that out loud! Oh God, she hoped he didn't hear that!

“Missed you too.” she heard him whisper in her ear. Oh dear. He had heard her. Gabrielle's cheeks heated. 

She didn't know what compelled her to look up at him, but she did. Not a good idea considering their faces were now only an inch or so apart. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. Double crap.

Sam closed the gap, his lip gentle but demanding on hers. 

He'd he lying if he said he hadn't been fantasizing about this moment since she first cleaned his shoulder wound, which was healing nicely thank you. The real thing was so much better than he could have imagined. 

She sighed and melted against him, her arms encircling his neck. Gabrielle was no expert at kissing, but Sam more than made up for that. It felt like the world had melted away and only she and Sam, and this moment, existed. 

Sam's last coherent thought was that he knew he was defying Dean, and openly, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not when he had Gabrielle warm and wanting in his arms. 

It was a long time before they broke apart, both panting. 

“Wow...” Gabrielle breathed. Sam smirked down at her, which made her smile. She caught Dean out of the corner of her eye. He had one arm around Castiel's waist and they both were watching them. Castiel looked very pleased, Dean's face held mixed emotions.

Gabrielle, refusing to feel anything but happiness, snuggled into Sam's arms and looked straight at Dean, daring him to tear them apart. If she had to fight for Sam, she damn well would. 

The elder Winchester actually seemed a little shocked at her fierce gaze. He held his hands up in mock surrender.

Satisfied, Gabrielle pulled on the lapels of Sam's jacket to draw him down for another kiss before draping her arm around his waist, guiding him inside the cabin.

“It would appear that even you can't stand in their way.” Castiel said once they were gone. 

“Well, if he wants his heart broken, again, who am I to deny him that?” Dean, annoyed. 

“Dean, perhaps it won't. You can't see the future.” 

“Cas! She's going to turn back and then what? Sam's going to look at my car and see her every time and it's going to kill him inside. I don't want to see my brother in that kind of pain.”

And with that, Dean stormed inside the cabin. Castiel gave a weary sigh and followed. 

Sam and Gabrielle were watching a documentary on big cats, which of course lead to a fury of questions from Gabrielle, who was doing her now signature bounce, whether she was standing or sitting, when she was excited. 

Sam thought it was utterly adorable. He answered whatever questions he managed to catch, then made a mental note to get her some books on cats so she could practice her reading and learn at the same time. 

Dean and Castiel both found themselves smiling despite themselves at her. Her enthusiasm was kinda contagious. 

“Did you know that cheetahs do not have retractable claws?” That was from Castiel.

Gabrielle whirled around to face him. “Really? Why not?”

“'They use them for traction while they're chasing their prey.”

She thought that over. “That makes sense.” Then it was Castiel's turn for the rain of questions. He didn't seem to mind, though. In fact, he seemed quite pleased that someone was interested in his knowledge that had nothing to do with what went bump in the night.

Kevin sat with Sam, highly amused and charmed by the scene before him. 

Dean had that expression on his face that he couldn't really blame her for her excitement, but he did find it a bit overwhelming. He stood by the kitchen table, a beer in hand. 

When Castiel promised to procure her some books on cats, she squealed with glee and hugged him. The Angel started from the impact, but didn't resist. 

“Thank you!” she kissed Castiel's cheek before releasing him. 

“You're welcome.” he said, slightly awkwardly. Dean moved to Cas's side to prevent any further assault on his person, just in case. 

Castiel leaned a bit into Dean, silently grateful.

Gabrielle just grinned and made her way back to Sam, leaning her back against his chest. His arms settled around her shoulders loosely. 

She loved how warmth radiated off of Sam and seeped into her bones when she was near him. Being in contact as they were, made it even more pleasant. Gabrielle was quite certain she could stay like this forever, if she was able to. 

“I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry.” Dean announced.

“Good thing,” Gabrielle began, turning her megawatt smile onto Dean, “because Cas and I are going to prepare a home cooked meal for you both!” 

Sam managed to look happy and worried at the same time. “Are you sure? You've never cooked before.”

Gabrielle made a playful face at Sam. “Well I won't learn until I try.”

With Kevin's help at Sam's insistence, Castiel and Gabrielle were able to whip up a nice meal. It was what Kevin called 'breakfast for dinner', which consisted of eggs, bacon, toast, and sliced oranges. Best of all, a freshly brewed pot of coffee. 

An egg or two were sacrificed to the floor in the name of learning to scramble them, or flip them over. Gabrielle uttered a few bad words she'd learned as the second egg hit the floor with an unceremonious splat. 

“Crap!” biting her lip, she tried again. The egg nearly fell on the floor but she rescued it just in time. 

Castiel wasn't fairing much better with the bacon. It was slimy, and not to mention not very cooperative about getting into the pan, even with tongs. 

Kevin was in charge of the toast while at the same time, preventing any big kitchen disasters. Castiel hissed when he burned himself on the edge of the frying pan. Dean immediately attended to it, being more gentle than Sam had ever seen him, unless it was with a young child. 

Castiel watched his face, the softness in it, the concern. Dean bandaged his hand up, fingers lingering too long on Castiel's skin. 

Sam watched as Dean clenched his teeth, just a little, then drew back telling Castiel that he'd keep an eye on it for him. Castiel looked visibly disappointed at Dean's actions. 

Sam sighed, wishing Dean would just give in. This dance the two were doing was already really old and unnecessary. 

To save himself further aggravation, Sam turned to where Gabrielle was triumphantly winning her battle with the eggs. She broke out into a small victory dance, which made him laugh. Gabrielle turned to beam at him. 

Even with the bits of egg all over her apron, Sam Winchester knew that he was falling in love. And it was wonderful.


	7. Chapter 7

The food turned out well, for which the boys were grateful. Gabrielle discovered she loved bacon and probably would've eaten most of it had it not been for Dean's well practised and fast fingers which were more than capable of snagging a few pieces when she wasn't looking. 

“It's hard to believe I used to be a Vegan.” Kevin muttered, nibbling on a slice of bacon he'd dipped in his egg yolk. 

“What's a Vegan?” Gabrielle asked, mirroring Kevin's movements, but with toast. 

When Dean explained what it was, Gabrielle blinked. “No thank you! I like meat!” Then she sheepishly smiled at Kevin. “Sorry...”

He shrugged. “To each their own.” Kevin had a look on his face like there was a deeper reason for his reverting to a mainstream diet, but Gabrielle didn't push. Not now, when they were all having such a pleasant evening.   
They were quite the group, Gabrielle thought, as she looked around the table. Two brothers, one Prophet, one Angel, and one former automobile. The last made her grin a little. It wasn't so weird to think of herself that way than it was when this whole adventure began. 

When dinner was finished, Sam insisted on doing the dishes with a reluctant Dean's help. 

Gabrielle smiled as Dean started humming some of his favourite classic rock songs. Now those she was very familiar with. As the words formed in her mind, she found herself humming along. It was contagious, but hey, she liked it.

They were called classic for a reason.

 

Later on, Gabrielle sat on a large plastic pail while Dean cleaned out the SUV they were driving. Now, Dean wasn't usually much for tidiness, but when it came to whatever vehicle he was driving, mess was not to be tolerated. He liked his cars clean.

“I was thinking,” she began, breaking the long silence that had only been filled by Dean's humming, “you and I haven't had a chat like this yet. You know, one on one.”

“Well,” Dean tossed out an old bag of nachos, “we've talked only you couldn't answer me then.”

“I can answer you now.” she prompted. 

Dean didn't answer her right away. A few old paper coffee cups were next. “I have no idea what to say, honestly.” He wasn't looking at her, he was reaching under the front seat for something. 

“You must have questions at least.”

Dean stilled before carefully manoeuvring himself out of the car. He met her gaze. “Uh, how are you enjoying two feet instead of four tires?”

Gabrielle chuckled a little. “Two legs aren't half bad, actually. Granted, I can't go as fast as I used to but at least now I can control whether or not I go in the first place as well as my speed.”

“So you like the freedom? I get that.” She saw the tick in his jaw and the scowl upon his face. That told her that he didn't entirely approve.

“But you miss the car form, don't you?” Dean looked down for a moment. Ah, she'd thought so.

“That's okay, Dean, really. I miss it too. Though,” she gave him a smile, “not as much as before.”

“I'm guessing Sam has something to do with that.” Dean filled the remaining space in the garbage bag he'd brought with him with a pair of boots that he'd managed to tear the sole off of. 

“Yes.” She beamed, thinking of him. 

“He's certainly been cheerier. It's annoying.” The last part was said with mild humour. 

Gabrielle laughed. “It's adorable!”

Dean rolled his eyes, then tied the garbage bag shut. “Just...keep your eyes open, okay?”

“They are open.” Gabrielle was puzzled. Why did he not want her to close her eyes? That was an odd request. 

Dean sighed, realizing his mistake in wording. “I mean don't forget that whatever you have or think you might have with Sam could only go two ways and neither are good.”

“You mean I could either change back to my original form, or...” she trailed off, not really needing to finish that sentence. Dean already knew. 

“...or die like Jessica, Madison just to name a few.”

Gabrielle felt the sting of those truths, straight to her heart. She looked down at her hands, not wanting Dean to see just how much it hurt. 

“Look, I'm not saying any of this just to hurt your feelings, or to make you feel bad. I'm doing it so you can protect yourself as well as Sam.”

Gabrielle was silent for a long moment, mulling over what Dean just told her. She looked him right in the eyes. 

“You're a good man, Dean Winchester.” She meant it. Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek. What bravery it takes to be the supposed 'bad guy' just to protect your family. 

Dean blinked, clearly confused. “That's not the reaction I was expecting.”

“That's because you don't know how awesome you really are.” With a warm smile, she stood and walked inside. 

Dean worked for a while longer before heading in after her. He flopped down next to Castiel, who was engrossed in a novel he'd found days earlier. The two exchanged a warm look.

Gabrielle sat not far from them in her bean bag chair. She enjoyed seeing the progress the two of them were making, however small it was. 

Sam was sitting beside her, his arm draped across her shoulders. “So...I can't believe I haven't asked you this yet, but what memories do you have before being, well, human?”

Gabrielle beamed at him. “I remember all sorts of things, even from when you were just a baby.” 

Sam raised his eyebrows, impressed. “Really?”

She nodded, then began telling him stories. As she did, Castiel, Dean, and Kevin sat around them, drawn in. 

Even as a summer storm started to blow in outside, they didn't notice. They remembered instead.

The boys were able to fill in some gaps which made stories funnier or that much more heartwarming. Dean even toppled over from laughter, earning him some gentle mockery from Sam. Sam got himself a glare and a gentle shove.

This was one of those one in a million evenings, Gabrielle thought, the one spot of light in all the darkness that surrounded these men. She vowed she would make more for them, because dammit, they earned it. More than earned it. They had a right to it. 

Gabrielle reached for Sam's hand and intertwined their fingers. She hoped that she gave Sam a bit of light, because he sure gave her plenty of her own. 

Sam watched her tell stories, her face animated, beaming, full of affection. There was no doubt that she was speaking about people she cared deeply about. He was glad to know that he was one of those people, along with Dean, his mother, and their father. 

Sam was amazed Gabrielle didn't burst from all that positive energy she had. He was sure he probably would. Instead, she spread it to all of them. Even Dean seemed to be absorbing it. The eldest Winchester had come in from cleaning the car with Gabrielle lighter, smiling easier. She was good for all of them.

That's when the idea of keeping her as she was crept into his mind. He knew it was selfish because both he and Dean loved the Impala. Especially Dean. They had good, wonderful memories in that car. Hell, they had talked about plenty them tonight. 

But, his heart argued, he was in love. That mattered. He deserved to happy, didn't he? After all they'd been through, he knew that when something like this happened you had to jump at it, revel in it before the darkness crept in, taking it from you as it inevitably would. 

“Dean,” Sam addressed his brother, “can I have a word?”

Dean gave him a puzzled look, but agreed. The two brothers headed into the basement where they were less likely to be overheard. 

“What is it, Sam?” Dean asked.

“I've been thinking,” he ran his hand through his hair, “what if we don't turn Gabrielle back?”

Dean furrowed his brows. “What? You want her to stay human? Forever?”

“Yes. I care about her, Dean, like I haven't cared about anyone since Jessica. Hell, Dean, this is deeper than that.” Sam wanted so much for Dean to understand. 

Dean was silent for a moment, searching Sam's eyes. A look of realization came over his features. “You're in love with her.”

“Yes.” Sam refused to deny it. 

Dean scrubbed his face with his hand, then began to pace as he often did when he needed to digest information. 

“You're telling me that you want me to give up my car so you can have a girlfriend?” He didn't sound resentful or angry, just like he wanted to make sure he had the facts straight. 

“Yes.” 

“She's the cheeriest person I've ever met, and being a car, our former car to boot, I have no idea how she is.” Dean commented.

Sam smiled a little. “I don't know either, honestly, but I'm grateful for it.”

“Me too, actually.” Dean said honestly. He then told Sam about their conversation outside and how she had reacted to it. 

Wow, Sam thought, she really does understand Dean.

“You've been the happiest I've ever seen you since she appeared, so has Kevin, Cas, hell even me. So yes, Sam, she can stay human.”

Sam enveloped his brother in a bear hug, which Dean returned. “Thank you.”

Dean let go, getting that look on his face that he needed to talk to Sam about something but didn't really want to. 

“Just let it out, Dean.”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, exhaled sharply, and looked down. “You know what? Nevermind.” He tried to walk upstairs, past Sam, but he didn't let him. 

“Sam--”

“Spit it out.” Sam told him sternly. 

“Sam, I don't want--”

“Spit it out!” Man, Dean could be stubborn.

“I think I like Cas, okay?”

“Like...?” Sam prompted. 

Dean shuffled his feet, another nervous habit. Then seemed to decide to go for broke. “I have feelings for him, Sammy. And it scares me.” He said the last part softly so only Sam would hear. 

Sam knew what it took for Dean to make a confession like this, but had needed to. 

“I can imagine it does. Having serious feelings for someone is scary, whatever gender they are. And just so you know, I don't care if you choose to be with a guy or girl, Dean. Sexual orientation doesn't matter to me. I just want you to be happy.”

Dean gave him one of his rare full, warm smiles. One that said he was damn glad Sam was his brother and had the big heart that he did. 

“It used to matter to me, but Cas changed that.”

Sam smiled back. “I know. You've been gone on Cas since day one.”

“What?! No--” Dean thought back. “Dammit. Was I that obvious?”

“Oh yeah.” Dean playfully swatted his brother's shoulder, making Sam chuckle. 

“You should tell him, Dean 'cause I'm pretty sure he feels the same way.” Sam watched a hopeful expression flit across Dean's face. Good. That meant he would and maybe, just maybe, let himself be happy too.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam broached the subject with Gabrielle the next day. 

“So,” he said, handing her some hot tea. He figured a small bribe would help ease his nerves. Funny that he had those, considering the initial joy he'd felt at Dean's agreement to let her stay human. Not so funny, when he knew that it was ultimately Gabrielle's choice, not his as to whether that actually happened. 

He didn't want to force her to do anything she didn't want to do, even when his heart was screaming at him to keep her as she was. 

“So?” Gabrielle accepted the tea, arching a brow at Sam. He was nervous. Why?

“I want you to know that when the time comes that you choose to decide whether or not you stay human, I'll support whatever choice you make.”  
She blinked, touched by his words. “Thank you, Sam.” She sipped her tea. “Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it all since the change happened. I've just been, I guess the word is revelling in it.”

Gabrielle set her mug down, then wound her arms around Sam's neck. “If being human means I get to do this,” she stood on tip toe, kissed him gently, “everyday, I'm really, really cool with it.”

Sam kissed her back, very much satisfied with her answer. 

She meant it too. She'd definitely missed her original form at first, but she hadn't considered changing back. There had just been so much to experience, with every sense she had. Falling in love with Sam had sealed the deal. There was no turning back in her mind and she was more than happy with that. 

Sam still had moments of disbelief, not quite sure if all this happiness he was feeling was real. Coming from so many years of pain, fear, and illusions, it was hard not to let those sorts of thoughts creep in. But, he knew it was. Holding Gabrielle as he was now, he knew. 

Over her shoulder, Sam could see Dean scowling, looking at something out the window. A second later, he turned on his heel and went to the heavy wooden chest they kept some of their bigger weapons in. That really got Sam's attention, years of hunting kicking in. 

“What's out there?” Sam went to his brother's side. 

“Vampires.” Dean handed Sam a machete, taking one for himself. 

Gabrielle gaped at the weapons. She knew they used them, that was no secret. But seeing them for the first time was another thing entirely.

“Just stay here.” Sam told Gabrielle before they headed out the door. She half wanted to listen and half wanted to go with them to experience this part of their lives as well. 

 

Gabrielle didn't even realize that she had begun to walk towards the door until Castiel gently took her elbow in his hand, halting her movement. 

“It's dangerous.” Was all he said. His tone told her that he meant it. 

Gabrielle bit her lip, but decided to trust Castiel on this. Still, his warning didn't keep her from watching Sam and Dean out the kitchen window. 

There were six Vampires, all of them surrounding the two hunters. Gabrielle's fingers dug into the window frame as worry built up inside of her. Their foes moved faster than her eyes could track, like a blur. One would be in front of the boys, then suddenly behind. 

Their blades flew, catching the sun, glinting, drawing blood. Gabrielle's eyes widened when Sam swung his blade in a perfect arc, separating the Vampire's head from its body. It bounced and rolled like a macabre ball down the dirt road, disappearing into the woods.

Gabrielle felt bile stir in her stomach. It got worse when Dean did the same thing, only the head went in the opposite direction of the first. It was one thing to hear the stories of a hunt, it was quite another to see it. 

The blood, the dirt, sweat, the fear...

How did they do this for so many years? How did they retain any part of themselves with all this death following them, haunting them, waiting?

Her memories offered clues, but no solid answers. No doubt it was one of many things they rarely talked about. 

Gabrielle couldn't tear her eyes away, no matter her horror at the scene before her. Sam and Dean worked like a well oiled machine, anticipating the others' movements, give and take. 

It wasn't long before the driveway began to fill with the remains of the Vampires as they were dispatched, staining it red. 

Blood...  
Gabrielle flinched as one of the Vampires managed to scratch Sam's cheek, giving him a deep, angry gash. However, it seemed Sam hardly reacted, never wavering on his assault. 

With the swing of a blade, Dean beheaded the Vampire that had just harmed his brother. Sure, it wasn't a life threatening injury, but the cold fury in Dean's eyes told her there was no marring of his brother he would accept.

Blood splattered on the window, startling Gabrielle. She stepped back until she nearly bumped into Kevin, who had been writing in his journal to distract himself from what was going on outside. 

Gabrielle could feel her hands shaking, so she clenched them into fists at her sides. Just when her knees started to follow suit, she sat down in her bean bag chair, hugging her legs to her chest. 

Was it any wonder their father was the way that he was? So cold, hard, a warrior, soldier, through and through. 

But how did Sam and Dean retain their heart? Their warmth? Their ingrained desire to save a lives, or even a single life? Hell, their humanity. They both had it, in spades. A new respect for the brothers crept in, slowly easing her shock over what she'd just seen.

Still she wouldn't move from her spot. Gabrielle didn't want to see anymore. 

Castiel and Kevin, who had noticed her movement towards the chair earlier, both gave her some room to process what was going on, and she appreciated that. Still, she was glad they were both close by, just in case.

When the boys finally re-entered the cabin, they didn't bother acknowledging anyone at first. Dean immediately started drawing wards that Gabrielle couldn't even begin to comprehend on the walls, windows, and wherever else he deemed necessary.

Sam did the same, doing the opposite side of the cabin to the one Dean was doing. He did, however, notice Gabrielle about half way through his last symbol. 

“Hey,” he quickly finished then went to her side, sitting by her, “are you okay?”

Gabrielle shook her head slowly. “No.” She took Sam's bloodied hands in hers. “I never imagined that it would be so...” 

“Violent, bloody.” Sam finished for her.

“Yes. Your shoulder wound was one thing, but this,” Gabrielle gestured at the window and in the direction of where the fight had taken place. “Is worse.” 

“I know.” 

It tore at Sam's heart that Gabrielle witnessed what he and Dean did, had done, for the majority of their lives. He supposed that it was inevitable that she would, he just wished that there was a way you could prepare someone for the horror of what they do. As she'd mentioned, that wound had only been a small glimpse, this was different. What happened tonight was front row centre, right in the middle of it. 

Every person they ever met on their travels reacted to the paranormal in different ways. Fear being the most common, disbelief, anger. Plenty of times there was a combination of all, sometimes even acceptance, though that was rare.  
Nobody, though, ever liked the violence that came with it. 

Sam stood and walked to the bathroom to wash his hands. Maybe if they were clean it would help Gabrielle settle a little more. 

It did. The minute she saw his clean hands, he could see more of the tension leave her body. 

“Thank you.” she told him, grateful. 

Sam gave her a small smile and drew her into his arms. He felt he needed to hold Gabrielle, not just for her own comfort, but strangely enough for his own as well. 

Gabrielle welcomed his embrace and snuggled into it. Here, she thought, she truly felt safe. Hugs were wonderful, she decided and added it to the ever growing list of things she loved about being human. 

“Huh,” Gabrielle's voice was muffled by Sam's shirt. 

“What?” Sam looked down at her with affection and mild curiosity. 

“You smell nice.” pleasure, a bit of surprise. 

Sam chuckled. “That's probably my deodorant.”

Gabrielle grinned up at him. “Whatever it is, I like it.” 

Sam bent and kissed her, which she happily returned.

When she drew back, she frowned at his gash. “Let's take care of that.” Helping them patch themselves together, she decided, would be how she'd cope with what she saw today. It meant that they'd have a chance to get better, to keep going another day.

As she cleaned Sam's gash, she saw Castiel doing the same to Dean. If she remembered correctly from her many conversations with the Angel about his powers, healing with a simple touch was one of them. Why wasn't he doing it now?

The way Dean was leaning slightly into Castiel's touch, his eyes closing, gave her the answer. Castiel seemed at war with himself, debating. The Angel's eyes went to Dean's lips, but only for a moment, before looking back at Dean's cuts on his forehead, nose, and cheek. 

Gabrielle continued to watch as Dean stood slowly, seemingly debating with himself just as Castiel had been. Dean walked away only to stop, turn on his heel and walked back until he stood toe to toe with The Angel.

The two had what Sam would describe as a soulful staring contest. Gabrielle nudged Sam excitedly and gestured towards them. 

Sam turned just in time to see Dean mutter something to Castiel, low enough that they couldn't hear. Castiel's eyes went slightly wide, Dean looked down, then up again, that same soft hope Sam had seen earlier in his eyes.  
Everyone was silent, as if they were holding their breath, waiting for Castiel's answer, which they were. The Angel simply lifted a hand, touched Dean's cheek. That was all it took. Dean had his answer. 

Sam watched as his brother's face fill with light, chasing some of the dark that had always been there, hardening it, away. He looked, Sam dared think it, his age, even younger. Yes, younger. That was more accurate. 

Gabrielle was practically bouncing beside him, unable to contain her excitement. 

Dean, seeming to not notice the others, bent and gently kissed Castiel. Or rather, it started out gentle. An invisible dam broke between the two of them, all those years of dancing around what they felt for one another, it was finally over. 

As it got more passionate, Sam and Gabrielle excused themselves from the room.

“Finally.” Sam whispered to Gabrielle, who covered her mouth to suppress a giggle. 

Behind them, Dean and Castiel clung to each other as if their lives depended on it. Neither wanted even an inch between them. The kiss was long, luxurious and way overdue. When they finally parted, Gabrielle could hear them both gasping for breath. 

 

“Definitely should have done that sooner.” Dean said, between deep breaths. 

“Agreed. I would have preferred an earlier date as well.” Castiel's voice was huskier than usual. 

Gabrielle silently cheered for the new couple. It was Dean's turn, she thought, to have someone just as she now had Sam. Speaking of, she snuggled closer to the aforementioned man, thanking whomever decided to bring this good fortune their way. 

A voice whispered in her ear. 

 

You're welcome.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so bloody long to put up. I kept editing it over and over. I'm still not 100% satisfied with it, but I decided enough fussing! it was time to post. I hope you like it. this chapter at least starts to earn it's M rating...

Sam had just gotten up to use the washroom when he heard the sound of glass shattering. Then, came the heat. Sam whirled around to see flames blooming on the floor, spreading fast. 

“Dean!” Sam shook his brother awake. 

“What--” Dean started to ask groggily until he saw the flames, which were quickly consuming the floor, getting closer to their beds. Without another word, Dean flew out of bed, waking Kevin, Gabrielle, and calling Castiel. 

Sam grabbed a bucket he'd used earlier to wash the window and the side of the cabin after their Vampire encounter. It was still filled with soapy water. He tossed it onto the flames, putting some of them out.   
Then, the second shattering. A third, a Fourth. Something or someone wanted them to burn.

Gabrielle grumbled when Dean shook her, and rather roughly at that, awake. “Dean--” she began to whine until she saw the flames. 

“We have to get out now!” 

Crash. Crash. Crash.

The roar of the fire scared Gabrielle the most as she grabbed Kevin's hand and ran out of the cabin. She turned around just in time to watch the cabin blow apart in a mass of debris and flame. 

Split seconds. A cabin, a cozy home, ripped apart. Gabrielle couldn't believe it was gone, just like that. 

“Gabrielle!” 

The call from Kevin came too late. 

Something hit her neck, hard. Then came the searing, pure molten hot pain...

Gabrielle heard someone scream, maybe it was her, she didn't know. The light from the fire illuminated the ground as she fell, jarring her body, her wound. 

Another scream.

“Gabrielle!” This time it was Sam.

Her vision blurred, darkened. No! What was happening to her? Fear mixed with the pain, giving her strength. Gabrielle struggled to stand, needed to. 

Sam! She had to get to Sam!

Every cell in her body screamed at her to lay down, to be still, but she refused to listen. Gabrielle stood, wobbled. 

“Sam!” she croaked out. Each step she took was slow, unsteady. “Sam!”

A blackened, bloody, and torn figure appeared, ran in her direction. “Gabrielle!” 

Sam! Yes! 

Gabrielle broke into a run, stumbling as she went, towards him. It was only when she finally collided with Sam, wrapping her arms around him, did she allow herself to feel relief. 

She revelled in having him close, alive. It didn't matter that he smelled of smoke. He was alive!

Gabrielle kissed his face, neck, anything she could. 

“Get a room.” That was Dean. His voice was hoarse, but there was a tinge of humour and relief in his tone. 

“Dean!” Gabrielle was so glad he was okay, too. He was her family after all. She ceased her assault on Sam, only to fling her arms around Dean, hugging him tightly. 

Dean grunted, wrapping his arms around so he wouldn't topple over. “Gabby. Ribs. Broken.”

“Oh!” Gabrielle released Dean. “Oh, God! I'm so sorry!” She was horrified. 

“I'll be fine.” Dean waved away her worry. Gabrielle took notice of his fingers, which were covered in soot and minor cuts. However, they were intact just as he seemed to be, ribs aside. 

“Your neck!” Sam exclaimed, the firelight shining on her injury which had been previously hidden by the dark. His face marred by worry, he examined the wound. 

“It hurts, It hurt...” 

Sam made soothing noises, gently brushing her hair away for a better look. His stomach turned at the sight of her burned flesh. He knew enough to know this was second degree, and would leave a hell of a scar. 

The wound started just under her right ear, spread across her neck, ending just above her clavicle. Oh, once her adrenaline wore off...

What had caused it, he didn't know. He did know that he was going to hunt down whatever had done this to her, to them, and make sure they suffered. 

His own body ached, reminding him that he'd fallen, and fallen hard. That didn't matter. Gabrielle was alive. Hurt, but alive. 

Castiel appeared at Dean's side, immediately looking him over, his scowl deepening with every injury he found.

Dean leaned into Castiel, resting his head on his shoulder in a rare show of vulnerability. 

Kevin walked over to them, wobbling just as badly as Gabrielle had been. Sam helped the poor young man stand. Kevin leaned heavily on him. 

He had cuts, soot, and torn clothes but seemed okay otherwise. Gabrielle worried that there were injuries she couldn't see, like Dean's broken ribs. She was fond of Kevin, and thought of him as a friend.

“Are you okay? I remember us running out together and then...” 

Kevin scratched his head, causing bits of soot to fall to the ground. “I fell, on something, I don't know what. It's fuzzy after that.”

“Me too,” Gabrielle leaned against Sam, her eyes on Castiel. His trademark trench coat was singed at the ends, covered in soot. Bits of debris were stick in his hair. On the outside, again, he didn't look too worse for wear. 

Gabrielle swung Kevin's other arm around her shoulders so he had two people to lean on. She hissed when he accidentally brushed her burn. 

“Sorry,” Kevin's eyes bugged out a little, seeing her burn. “Ouch...” 

“Yeah,” she agreed, “but we're alive.” 

“Who, or what, could've done this?” Sam asked, knowing that's what they all wanted to know but were still too shaken to ask.

“My bet's on Crowley.” Dean announced from where he was now sitting. Castiel was sitting beside him, his arm around his shoulders. 

Kevin sat too, as far from the debris field as he could. “Why? So we'd be on the run again?” 

“I suppose.” Sam sighed and sat, gently taking Gabrielle with him. She leaned against his chest, revelling in the sound of his heartbeat. 

Gabrielle looked over at the car, or rather where the car had been. Now it was in a crumpled heap beneath debris. 

Sam followed her gaze. “Dammit.” 

“What?” Dean asked. 

“The car,” Sam gestured, “it's wrecked.” 

“Son of a bitch.” 

“So, what now?” Kevin asked, picking bits of charred cabin remains off of his sweatshirt. 

“There's a town nearby, if you're up for a walk.” 

“How long?” Gabrielle snuggled against Sam, hoping to give both of them some comfort. Sam gently stroked her arm. 

“At least an hour.” 

“If it means a bed, I'm in.” Kevin announced. 

“I second that.” Dean agreed. 

“I third that.” Gabrielle murmured, trying to suppress a yawn. 

Walking away from the ruins was a relief for everyone, she could tell, but sad at the same time. The cabin had become somewhat of a home, a place for the boys to come back to that wasn't a random motel, hotel, or bed and breakfast. Gabrielle felt her heart break at that thought. 

The moon shone along the winding dirt road leading to the highway. It was eerie, and gave Gabrielle the creeps. She rubbed her arms, her eyes darting to the shadows all around her. It did help, though, when she remembered she wasn't walking alone. 

Cool air hit her marred flesh, making her flinch. It hurt, but eased the pain at the same time. A moment later, she was encased with warmth. 

Looking down, she saw that she was now wearing Castiel's trench coat draped across her shoulders. The man in question was walking to her left, Dean beside him. 

Gabrielle sent Castiel a look of thanks. He smiled in that small way that she found incredibly adorable.

Sam was to her right, giving him the same look she had. Dean, Sam noticed afterwards, had such a look of love and pride on his face that Sam nearly poked fun at him. Nearly. 

What stopped him was the fact that Dean deserved to feel safe letting his mask slide once in a while, letting the emotions that made him human show. It made Sam feel like he was getting his brother back in a way he never imagined he would, improved, healthier (burgers and pies aside. He was allowed a couple of vices), happier.

Now if there was any moment in his life that was surreal, Sam would say this was it. But, it was wonderful, so he'd take it. 

He drew Gabrielle gently against his side, her good side. Sam loved that she always leaned right into him, as if being close to him was her favourite thing in the world. 

Sam couldn't help but chuckle when Gabrielle unceremoniously draped her free arm around Kevin's shoulders. The Prophet smiled, whispered something to Gabrielle that had her giggling. 

No third wheel feelings with group hugs, Sam thought, grinning to himself. 

Thankfully, the highway seemed quiet once they reached it. The last thing they needed was a car to go by and gawk at the group of wounded people seemingly hitch-hiking on the side of the road. 

They rested about half way through their walk. Gabrielle sighed in relief as she sank down onto the grass that lined the highway. Her feet had begun to ache and she was sure she had some new cuts to go with the ones she'd gotten from the blast. 

Her burn chose that moment to, well, burn again. It was as if her body had forgotten the wound was there, but was slowly remembering.

Gabrielle nearly checked to see if the thing that had caused her wound was still there, still heating, burning her flesh. 

The smell... 

Oh, how glad she was that that hadn't come into her mind during that awful moment. Her stomach turned a little and she decided to never ponder that again. No use adding more horror to what was already filled to the brim with it. 

A part of Gabrielle wished she could be just as strong for them as they were unknowingly being for her. At the same time, she didn't want to see the darkness they had. Gabrielle wanted to always see the light in the world, the good. 

Staying with them would mean she would. Not the same, but darkness had many faces, many names. Was she prepared for that? Could she do it? It was something she had to decide, and fast. Evil had already touched them tonight, minor in the Winchester sense, but it had all the same. 

Gabrielle's eyes immediately went to Sam. She saw there one of the biggest reasons why she could give it her all to try.

 

The rest of the journey to town was uneventful, thank goodness. They found a small bed and breakfast to stay at the edge of town. Thankfully, Dean managed to find some money in the back pocket of his jeans that he'd fallen asleep in so they were able to get a room for the night. 

The owner took one look at them and offered their first aid kit. Sam accepted it gratefully and promised to return it when they were done. 

They all shared the same room, despite there only being one double bed. After nearly losing one another, nobody wanted to be separated. 

Gabrielle sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed in relief. Kevin flopped down next to her. 

“I seriously need to get in better shape.” he grumbled, draping his arm over his eyes. 

Gabrielle chuckled. “So do I.” She rubbed gently at her good shoulder. 

The two laid there until it was absolutely necessary for them to move. 

They each took turns showering, getting the dirt, ash, and grime off. The bathroom was modest, but it had a sink, an antique tub and shower head. Fresh towels were hanging on a rack. Morale seemed to boost a little, simply at being clean. It was small, but it was a start. 

Dean volunteered to show Gabrielle how the shower worked. His movements were careful, slow, pain etched on his features as he followed her to the bathroom. 

“Castiel should really heal those ribs for you.” Her voice was laced with concern. 

Dean gave her a look, holding his side. “Long story, Gabby. The short version is he can't. At least, not something this bad anyway. Not anymore.”

Gabby? That was the second time he'd called her that. “Is that my new...?”

“Nickname? Sure.” 

She decided she liked the name. Then, pondered what he'd said about Castiel. What could have happened that wound warrant him losing so much power? From what she remembered, Angels could heal anything, their power seemingly infinite. 

Whatever it was, it had to have been -bad-. Gabrielle made a point to ask Sam about it at a later date. 

Working the shower proved easier than she thought with Dean's instructions. Gabrielle reached her hand out to touch the spray and frowned, feeling that the water was cool, rather than warm as she'd hoped it would be. 

“Trust me,” Dean said, seeing her look. “you don't want warm water on that burn. It'll make it hurt like a son of a bitch.” 

Gabrielle bit her lip and nodded. Satisfied, Dean made sure there was a towel and a robe hanging in the bathroom before he left her to own devices. 

That's when she finally caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror that hung over a small vanity by the bathtub. Gabrielle nearly jumped a mile!

Before her, was a sooty, wide-eyed, girl with burnt clothing and...oh. Seeing her wound for the first time made her pale a little. It really was awful. Red, angry, and what were those bumps? They hurt. Oh, it all hurt.   
How had she been so calm before? Collected? She'd smiled, even laughed. How?

If it hadn't been for her alarmingly haggard appearance, she'd have been delighted to finally see what she looked like for the first time. 

Tears stung her eyes and Gabrielle looked away. She vowed she wouldn't look again until she was clean. 

She carefully stepped into the tub, letting out a small yelp as the water hit her body. Dean, it turned out, was right about the temperature. Gabrielle quickly rinsed her hair and her body before stepping out. 

With a small shiver, she carefully towel dried her skin before donning the modest robe. She let it droop, exposing the wound to the air. Removing her clothing had hurt enough. 

. “Let's look after that burn.” Sam gave her a warm look once she re-entered the main room. He held up the first aid kit.

“Oh, goodie.” a bit of cheek, but she figured she'd earned the right. The comforting caress to her arm let her know she was right. He was gentle, trying not to hurt her, but the skin was so tender and raw it was unavoidable. 

Sam hated causing her pain like this, seeing those little flinches. But cleaning it, treating it, bandaging it, had to be done. Otherwise it wouldn't heal. Gabrielle sat through bravely, he thought. She didn't whine or complain once. 

It took just about all the bandages from the kit to cover the wound, but Sam managed it. He kissed her forehead, her mouth, as if to silently soothe. 

She kissed back, greedily accepting. To finish off, Sam got her a glass of water and handed her two Aspirin. 

“For the pain.” The way he said it let her know that he'd seen through her tough act, but that he was proud of her, none the less.

Lord, it was easy to love this man. 

Later, Gabrielle helped Sam with wrapping Dean's ribs. She winced at the expansive bruise that had formed on his skin. 

Dean complained a little about the firm wrapping, but not much. Gabrielle suspected he was trying to be tough for them all. She wanted to call him on it, but it was so late and everyone was so tired, broken, and bruised, so she let it go. Just this once. 

Instead she gave him some pain medication that Sam had handed her and a glass of water. 

Dean took them gratefully. “That's gonna hurt like a bitch for a while.” Meaning her burn, and his ribs. 

Gabrielle inwardly grumbled.

“Such a comfort.” Sam rolled his eyes. Dean shrugged, brushing off his brother's blatant sarcasm. 

“I kind of figured that, Dean.” Gabrielle tried her hand at false bravery, but it didn't work. Dean saw right through it. His eyes softened in silent apology. 

“I swear, Dean, if you weren't so adorable...” she teased gently, with great affection. Gabrielle walked to the eldest Winchester and hugged him gently, kissing his cheek. 

Over her shoulder, Dean waggled his eyebrows at Sam, who gave him his classic 'bitch face' as Dean called it.

Gabrielle had to suppress a giggle when Castiel walked to them and clearly gave her a look that said 'he's mine.' before giving Dean a rather possessive kiss. 

Dean, of course, didn't mind at all and kissed back. 

Gabrielle stretched, then eyed the bed. Now, who was going to sleep in it? That was the million dollar question. Oh, she was sorely tempted just to flop herself onto the bed and claim it for her own, but her conscience wouldn't let her. 

Sighing a little, she helped Kevin make up some beds on the floor with extra linens they found in the small closet by their room door. There were even a few extra pillows so they could at least have something soft to rest their heads on. The floor itself was hard as rock. 

They all agreed that Dean would get the bed because of his ribs, so that answered that question. However, it wasn't so bad for Gabrielle when she realized she would get to snuggle up to Sam as their beds were right next to the others'.

Crap! She thought suddenly, realizing that her clothes had been burned so badly that they'd had to be thrown out. The robe wouldn't be comfortable to sleep in as it was a little scratchy. That, and the feeble belt it had could easily come open...

That meant that she'd have to be in bed, with Sam, naked!

Gabrielle couldn't contain the tinge of excitement she felt at the idea. But, at the same time, she wasn't really keen on being so close to him (and exposed!) with some many, well, others in the room. Not that she was hoping to be intimate...

The idea, though, made her feel pleasant, just like she had when she'd seen him without a shirt for the first time. This however, was more pronounced. Gabrielle suspected that was so because it meant skin on skin contact, no barriers. 

She was allowed to touch now...if she wanted. Oh, did she want...

Her skin felt suddenly more sensitive, there was warmth low in her belly, between her legs...an ache...dampness? No, wet... 

A blush crept up her cheeks and Gabrielle hoped against hope that nobody saw it. 

Sam, seeming to at least sense a part of her dilemma, spoke up. 

 

“You can use my shirt. I know it's not much, but it should work for tonight anyway.” 

Gabrielle shook her thoughts at hearing Sam's voice. Her heart warmed seeing him holding out his grey t-shirt to her. She took it from him.

“Thanks.” Oh, and he was shirtless again. Well, she thought, a little ogling was okay, right? After all, the man was gorgeous. 

Those...sensations intensified. It took all of her self control not to press her thighs together and whimper. She was not about to lose what remained of her dignity in front of him. 

Sam gave her a wolfish grin, letting her know he had a pretty good idea of where her thoughts were at the moment. Gabrielle felt her cheeks heating. Again. Before she could embarrass herself further, she high tailed it into the bathroom to change. 

When she came out, Sam was already laying on the makeshift bed, grinning at her. 

“Could you make this more awkward, Sam Winchester?” she asked, half amused, embarrassed, and aroused. 

“Awkward?” He said, feigning ignorance. 

Gabrielle rolled her eyes at him, feeling a little more at ease. No choice, she thought, no choice as she laid down next to Sam, drawing the blanket over herself. Immediately, his arm came across her middle and drew her against him. 

Her bandage chafed a little from the movement, but she didn't care. This felt far too good, and far too right. He was solid, warm, and made her feel safer than she cared to admit. She relaxed in his arms, no doubt making him very aware of that fact. 

Then she felt him kiss the back of her neck, gently, just once. That was it, she was officially going to just melt into a puddle. 

Oh, Sam Winchester, she thought, if you only knew how you truly made me feel...


End file.
